Anti-smog measures: 315 industrial units razed; kilns sealed

LAHORE:For the first time, in its anti-smog measures, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Punjab has inspected 43,609 industrial units and brick kilns in Punjab during the past 150 days, demolishing 315 units, sealing 1,444 units and registering 1,425 FIRs in Punjab.

Sources in EPA told The News that most of the time EPA Punjab initiated such actions only during the smog period after October but this time EPA started a crackdown from April 1. Sources in EPA added during past 150 days, special squads of EPA sealed 1,444 units and kilns in all over Punjab and imposed over Rs140million fine while recovering over Rs2.7 million so far.

As per the data available with The News, EPA teams demolished 92 industrial units along with 223 brick kilns in all districts of Punjab so far while 170 brick kilns were water flooded. In Lahore, EPA Punjab inspected 1,857 industrial units along with brick kilns sealing 110 units and demolished 54 units and registered 54 FIRs and imposed Rs1.5m fine, Faisalabad, 1,492 inspections, sealing 183, notices 680 and 105 FIRs and Rs2.3m fine, Sheikhupura, 1198 inspections, 195 notices, 125 sealing, 86 FIRs and 930,000 fine, in Kasur, 1,788 inspections, 398 notices, 140 sealing, 50 FIRs and Rs140,000 fine, in Chiniot, 548 inspections, in MD Bahaudin, 649 inspection, in Mianwali, 681 inspections, in Narowal, 718, Khushab 780, Sialkot 787 inspections, Rajanpur 800 inspections, TT Singh 841 inspections, Okara 845, Layyah 888 inspections, Nankana 942 inspections, RY Khan 957 inspections, Gujrat 1,015 inspections, Pakpattan 1,077 inspections, DG Khan 1,098 inspections, Jhelum 1,149 inspections, Sargodha 1,159 inspections, Muzafargarh 1,193 inspections, Hafizabad 1,194 inspections, Chakwal 1,226 inspections, Gujranwala 1,245 inspections, Vehari 1,255 inspections, Rawalpindi 1,259 inspections, Bahawalnagar 1,389 inspections, Attock 1,494 inspections, Bahawalpur 1,627 inspection, Multan 1,738 inspections, Sahiwal 2,025 inspections and Jhang 2732 inspections.

When contacted, an EPA spokesperson said that EPA DG Imran Hamid Sheikh has one task in his mind that the department will not wait until October and the day he assumed charge he formed special squads. He added that repeated notices were issued earlier so that they could resolve their pollution issues.